INFRA Grants

RFP Summary provided by the agency

The INFRA program provides Federal financial assistance to highway and freight projects of national or regional significance. To maximize the value of INFRA funds for all Americans, the Department is focusing the competition on transportation infrastructure projects that support four key objectives, each of which is discussed in greater detail in section A.2:

Supporting economic vitality at the national and regional level.
Leveraging Federal funding to attract non-Federal sources of infrastructure investment.
Deploying innovative technology, encouraging innovative approaches to project delivery, and incentivizing the use of innovative financing.
Holding grant recipients accountable for their performance.

What is the mission and focus of the program: research, social, economic or others?

To be eligible for an INFRA grant, a project must be:

a highway freight project carried out on the National Highway Freight Network(23 U.S.C. 167)
a highway or bridge project carried out on the National Highway System (NHS) including projects that add capacity on the Interstate System to improve mobility or projects in a national scenic area
a railway-highway grade crossing or grade separation project; or
a freight project that is:

an intermodal or rail project, or
within the boundaries of a public or private freight rail, water (including ports), or intermodal facility, is a surface transportation infrastructure project necessary to facilitate direct intermodal interchange, transfer, or access into or out of the facility, and will significantly improve freight movement on the National Highway Freight Network. For these projects Federal funds can only support project elements that provide public benefits.

How do you submit to this opportunity?

Applications must be submitted through www.Grants.gov. Instructions for submitting applications can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/InFRAgrants.

Who are the target applicants: cities, universities, companies, small business, nonprofits, or others?

a State or group of States;
a metropolitan planning organization that serves an urbanized area (as defined by the Bureau of the Census) with a population of more than 200,000 individuals;
a unit of local government or group of local governments;
a political subdivision of a State or local government;
a special purpose district or public authority with a transportation function, including a port authority;
a Federal land management agency that applies jointly with a State or group of States;
a tribal government or a consortium of tribal governments; or
a multi-State or multi-jurisdictional group of public entities. Multiple States or jurisdictions that submit a joint application should identify a lead applicant as the primary point of contact. Each applicant in a joint application must be an Eligible Applicant. Joint applications must include a description of the roles and responsibilities of each applicant and must be signed by each applicant.

Example project(s) summaries from past RFPs:

Project summaries available in the Project Fact Sheet

Transforming the Providence I-95 Northbound Viaduct
Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Providence, Rhode Island
Proposed Award: $60,355,000

Project Description
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation will be awarded $60.355 million in INFRA funding to rebuild the Providence Interstate 95 Northbound Viaduct. The project consists of reconstructing the viaduct carrying northbound Interstate 95 through Providence, including reconstructing six bridges within the Route 6/10 and I-95 interchange. The project also includes building a new collector-distributor road east of the existing viaduct and reconfiguring existing ramps, improving the underside of the viaduct to enhance pedestrian connections, and the installation of ITS technology.

Project Benefits
The project supports national economic vitality by addressing a major bottleneck on the I-95 corridor which currently contributes to considerable congestion. The addition of collector-distributor lanes and realigned ramps will reduce conflicts and improve traffic flow, producing mobility and safety benefits. The project addresses innovation through the incorporation of technology to support real time traveler information systems, and supporting the future implementation of tolling on the corridor

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